A strategic mindset enhances children’s generation of effective strategies and delay of gratification across tasks
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9787027 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Patricia Chen (0000-0001-8030-8141, The University of Texas at Austin), Khai Qing Chua (0000-0003-3015-8944, University of British Columbia), Hui Yan Lim (0000-0003-4690-1819, National University of Singapore), Yilin Sharon Hoe (National University of Singapore), Qiao Kang Teo (0000-0002-4423-1682, National University of Singapore), Gary M Walton (0000-0002-6194-0472, Stanford University), Gregory M Walton, Carol S Dweck (0000-0001-7741-0073, Stanford University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 544-556 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Developmental Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/dev0001916 |
| PMID | 39836162 |
| OpenAlex | W4406669647 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
Overcoming challenges to achieve success involves being able to spontaneously come up with effective strategies to address different task demands. Research has linked individual differences in such strategy generation and use to optimal development over time and greater success across many areas of life. Yet, there is surprisingly little experimental evidence that tests how we might help young children to spontaneously generate and apply effective strategies across different challenging tasks. We test this in an area important to development: delaying gratification. To do this, we developed a "strategic mindset" storybook that encouraged children, when waiting felt hard, to ask themselves strategy-eliciting questions, such as: "What can I try to be better at this?" In two experiments ( N = 237), 5- to 6-year-old children who read the strategic mindset storybook with an experimenter (vs. a control storybook) waited significantly longer to receive desirable treats (Experiments 1 and 2) and to watch an appealing YouTube video (Experiment 2). Moreover, they were able to wait longer because they spontaneously generated and applied a greater number of effective waiting strategies. Going beyond classic research that taught children specific strategies to delay gratification, our results suggest that our new "metacognitive" approach can empower children's self-regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Cognitive psychology · Delay of gratification · Developmental psychology · Gratification · Mindset · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |